QOTW: Which high-tech kitchen gadgets are worth buying?

by Parm Mann on 6 November 2015, 16:31

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We know there are plenty of budding chefs among the HEXUS readership, so for the latest instalment of our question of the week we're opening up the debate on high-tech kitchen gadgets.

It's a whole new world out there with WiFi-controlled slow cookers, egg trays that send alerts to your phone when your free-range are on the turn, and connected scales that claim to bring recipes to life. Some are quirkier than others, but reviews aren't easy to come by so which are genuinely useful in the typical home?

I've recently picked up an induction hob that works really well and I've ordered a new oven with pyrolytic self-cleaning. I'll find out soon if the latter is worth the cost, but I've gotten the bug and can see myself buying something I really don't need.

And it is that time of the year when sales and holiday festivities lead to purchases, so before we wake up on Christmas morning to self-heated butter knives, let's hear some honest-to-goodness feedback: which high-tech kitchen gadgets are actually worth buying? Share your thoughts and recommendations using the comments facility below.

HEXUS Forums :: 31 Comments

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Posted by big_hairy_rob - Fri 06 Nov 2015 17:18
Struggling to think of any. If I was pushed I would say Media Streaming speakers for the kitchen, or a WIFI enabled oven (to switch onto the desired temperature when leaving the supermarket, but I really can't see how any of these gadgets could really save much time or money, without significantly impacting on security.
Posted by edzieba - Fri 06 Nov 2015 18:06
An accurately temperature-controlled water bath or immersion heater/circulator (AK A a ‘Sous Vide machine’). Makes a MASSIVE difference to cooking meat, particularly tougher meat (e.g. Beef). You can do other tricks with it like Onsen Tomago and various pasteurisation techniques too.
Posted by sykobee - Fri 06 Nov 2015 18:14
I read that as “Which high-tech kitten gadgets are worth buying”.

You don't need high-tech kitchen gadgets, unless that tech makes the oven not have a broken clock.

I have a pyrolitic oven, don't really use that aspect but when I do it does make some of those sticky black splashes far more ashen.
Posted by Biscuit - Fri 06 Nov 2015 18:25
Most high tech thing I have is probably my bean to cup machine…
Posted by crossy - Fri 06 Nov 2015 19:57
I'm not a big fan of kitchen “gadgets” generally and certainly not the ones that need an Internet connection! Although SWMBO was commenting that we've got a surplus of coffee makers - a Tassimo, a Rombouts and an Aeropress, (plus a filter machine that eventually went to charity shop).

If you're going to exclude the obvious stuff like a decent oven, then there's two things that get more use than we thought they would.

First one is a soup maker - even the kids can make something decent in under 30 minutes. And no, we didn't buy one of those £100+ Cuisinart ones, ours got bought at a food show and was half that price.

Second thing is a breadmaker - Panasonic in our case. Once you get the hang of it the thing produces some pretty nice loaves etc. Although my kids tend to sneer and ask “well what weird stuff have you put in THAT loaf?” - because I've known to put oats, tomato paste, etc in various “experiments”. Heck, I'm the one who eats them, so I figure I'm entitled to dabble!

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